As the comprehensive teaching university of Southeastern Massachusetts, Bridgewater State University has a responsibility to educate the residents of Southeastern Massachusetts and the commonwealth, and to use its intellectual, scientific and technological resources to support and advance the economic and cultural life of the region and the state.
While maintaining its historic focus on the preparation of teachers, Bridgewater State University provides a broad range of baccalaureate degree programs through its Louis M. Ricciardi College of Business, College of Education and Allied Studies, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Bartlett College of Science and Mathematics. At the graduate level, the College of Graduate Studies offers Master of Arts and Master of Science in select disciplines, as well as Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Accountancy, Master of Education, Master of Public Administration and Master of Social Work. In addition, Bridgewater State University prepares educators for postbaccalaureate and postmaster’s licensure.
Through the extensive information technology and distance education resources available at Bridgewater State University, including the John Joseph Moakley Center for Technological Applications, the university has made technology an integral component of teaching and learning on campus, and is a regional center for the enhancement of teaching through technology for PreK-12 teachers and university faculty.
The university’s growing number of innovative academic programs helps to ensure that Bridgewater State University students are prepared to think critically, communicate effectively and act responsibly within a context of personal and professional ethics. For example, the Academic Achievement Center, and particularly its first-year advising program, is often cited as a model for other institutions to follow. At the same time, the Adrian Tinsley Program for Undergraduate Research represents an unparalleled opportunity for students to work closely with faculty mentors and to present research and creative work at regional and national conferences.
Bridgewater State University benefits from Connect, its regional partnership with other public higher education institutions in the region – the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Massasoit Community College, Bristol Community College and Cape Cod Community College. Connect coordinates the academic, administrative and development activities of public higher education in Southeastern Massachusetts, and introduces shared activities and programs among member institutions.